USD Magazine Spring 2006

ALUMNI UPDATE

[ g r a p e v i n e ]

THE FRIEND CONNECTION Network of USD a l ums spr i ngs up f rom sea to sh i n i ng sea

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Orange County. Each area hosted well-attended social events. When Meghan Clark ‘01 (B.B.A.) moved to Boston four years ago, she didn’t know any- one and says finding fellow alumni in the area seemed like a natural solution. So she called the alumni office and volun- teered to help. “Once I got involved, it was amazing to see how many alumni live within a stone’s throw of me,” she says. Clark’s chapter hosts a network- ing hour every month; she also coordinates social events for alumni and their families, including ice skating and Red Sox games. “It can be tough for recent grads to come here and break into the business community because it’s so tight knit,” Clark says. “But this is a base people can turn to.” Go to www.sandiego.edu/ alumni/alumnirelations and click on the regional link.

here’s a maxim that says absence makes the heart grow fonder — sadly, that’s not always

the case. But if David Stephens gets his way, geographic distance won’t prevent alumni from staying connected to campus. Stephens, who joined USD’s Office of Alumni Relations in September 2004, says one of his jobs is to help alumni who’ve scattered across the United States maintain their emotional ties to USD. “I’ve spent my career helping people support their alma mater,” says Stephens, who previously worked at Baylor University in Texas. “Here at USD we’re starting with 12 regional programs. Eventually that number will grow.” In 2005, USD hosted a national tour that stopped in 12 regions: NewYork, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and California’s

CORBIS

CALLING ALL ALUMNI [ s h o u t o u t ] ALUMNI BENEFIT Want to stay connected with your fellow grads? It’s easy, it’s free, and you don’t have to leave your desk! USD’s Online Community (www.alumniconnections.com/olc/pub/sdg) is your secure, password-protected portal to more than 35,000 fellow Toreros. You can use the Online Community as a resource to find old friends, as a career network and as an online discussion forum. The community even offers you a free, permanent e-mail forwarding service that identifies you as a USD graduate. For information and to sign up, visit the site today or call (619) 260-4819.

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is to engage alumni on behalf of current and future students. ”The time commitment is rea- sonable: attendance at just five board meetings a year — either in person or virtually — and involvement with strategic planning and events. For a nomination form, go online to www.sandiego.edu/alumni or call (619) 260-4819.

f you’ve been wanting to make a difference and support your alma mater, the perfect opportunity is at your fingertips. The Alumni Board is seeking nominees for directors by Feb. 20; every alumnus is eligible for election. “Board members need to be passionate about USD and what it did for them,” explains Jack Kelly, senior director of Alumni Relations. “Their mission

From one end of the U.S. to the other, USD alumni are getting together to network; the newest regional chapter is in Minneapolis, Minn.

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